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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1991
IMPROVEMENT MEASURES AFOOT TO TACKLE TUEN MUN RIVER POLLUTION
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THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE, TOGETHER WITH MEASURES, WILL IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY OF TUEN MUN RIVER.
AND
SCHEME
OTHER
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT LANDS, MR GRAHAM BARNES, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM HON NG MING-YUM IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
AND
THE
THE
MR BARNES NOTED THAT THE MONITORING RESULTS BY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAD CONFIRMED THAT THE RIVER SUFFERED FROM POLLUTION.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MAJOR CAUSE OF POLLUTION IN THE UPPER REACHES HAD BEEN LIVESTOCK WASTE, AND IN THE MIDDLE AND LOWER REACHES INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES AND DOMESTIC SEWAGE.
TO
IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY, MR BARNES SAID UNDER THE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL SCHEME WITH EFFECT FROM JUNE 1988 ALL LIVESTOCK KEEPING ACTIVITIES WERE BANNED IN TUEN MUN NEW TOWN, AND ENFORCEMENT ACTION WAS TAKEN AGAINST ANY ILLEGAL LIVESTOCK KEEPING.
"THE ENVIRONS OF TUEN MUN NEW TOWN BRCAME PART OF THE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL AREAS ON JANUARY 1, 1990.
"SINCE THEN SOME 90 PER CENT OF THE ACTIVE LIVESTOCK FARMS IN THESE AREAS HAVE APPLIED FOR AN EX GRATIA ALLOWANCE AND CEASED
OPERATION.
"THIS HAS RESULTED IN THE RECENT IMPROVEMent of WATER QUALITY IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE RIVER.
"FROM TIME TO TIME CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE RIVER HAVE BEEN DREDGED, RESULTING IN SOME TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENT, HE SAID.
MR BARNES SAID RIVER WOULD BE WATER CONTROL ZONE WAS
AS FOR THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE, SEWAGE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES DISCHARGING INTO THE SUBJECT TO CONTROLS AFTER THE NORTH WESTERN DECLARED DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
OTHER IMPROVEMENT MEASURES INCLUDED FURTHER DREDGING OF MUD FROM THE RIVER CHANNEL WHICH WOULD START WHEN ARRANGEMENTS HAD BEEN AGREED ON AN ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE MANNER
FOR THE DISPOSAL OF THE HEAVILY CONTAMINATED MUD, HE SAID.
FURTHERMORE, A SEWERAGE MASTERPLAN STUDY FOR THE TUEN MUN ARBA WOULD SHORTLY COMMENCE TO REVIEW THE ADEQUACY OF EXISTING SEWERAGE AND ADVISE ON THE CAPACITY AND ENGINEERING
ARRANGEMENTS
FOR NEW
SEWERS, HE ADDED.
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